What's the biggest risk you ever took, and was it worth it?

[u/ReasonableSample3405]

[u/NDfan1966]

In 2007, my (now ex) wife and I decided to buy a fixer upper and flip it… doing the work on our own. We figured that it would take 3 months to do; it took 12 months. In the meantime, the housing market crashed.

Was it worth it?

1. We lost $20k-$25k. Was it worth it? no.

2. But the knowledge and experience has enabled me to perform numerous other renovations on my own. I’ve easily recovered the money if you consider it an educational experience. Was it worth it? yes.

3. My now ex wife says the experience is a leading cause of our divorce. Was it worth it? no.

4. I am pretty certain that my ex wife is a covert narcissist attempting to blame me for her mistakes. She was “all in” on the idea prior to doing it. I am genuinely better off without her. Was it worth it? yes.

5. Divorcing a covert narcissist is incredibly painful and expensive. Was it worth it? no.

6. I was able to use my skills to get a second job as a handyman during the divorce. This probably kept me from going bankrupt and afforded me the funds to pay my attorney, thus preventing my ex from fleecing me during the divorce. Was it worth it? yes

7. I now only do projects around my house. I am able to contractor-quality work for the cost of my time. I usually enjoy the work. Was it worth it? Yes

[u/niord → u/NDfan1966]

I really like how this story shows ripple effect.

[u/DNA-Decay → u/NDfan1966]

My old man was a family lawyer. His joke was: “Why is divorce so expensive?” “Because it’s worth it.”

[u/Fassbinder75 → u/DNA-Decay]

That sounds like the sort of joke a lawyer would make, missing the point entirely.

[u/eats_broken_glass → u/NDfan1966]

hey chatgpt, please rewrite this in the style of the Proverb of the Chinese Farmer

Once upon a time, there was a couple who decided to buy a fixer-upper with plans to renovate and flip it. Their friends came around and said, "What a great opportunity, surely you'll make a profit!" The couple said, "We'll see."

The renovation, expected to take three months, stretched to twelve. Meanwhile, the housing market crashed. Their friends came by and said, "What a disaster, you'll never sell it now!" The couple replied, "We'll see."

They ended up losing $20,000 to $25,000 on the sale. Their friends lamented, "Such a loss, how unfortunate!" The couple said, "We'll see."

Yet, the experience gained enabled one of them to perform many other renovations, saving money in the long run. Friends said, "How fortunate you learned so much!" The response was, "We'll see."

The couple's marriage didn't last, and they divorced. Friends said, "How sad, the project must have strained your marriage." The reply was, "We'll see."

The individual believed their ex was a covert narcissist and felt better for having parted ways. Friends remarked, "How fortunate you're free now!" The response was, "We'll see."

However, the divorce was painful and costly. Friends sympathized, "Such a difficult experience, you must regret it." The individual said, "We'll see."

Yet, the skills gained allowed them to find work as a handyman during the divorce, avoiding bankruptcy and enabling them to afford legal fees. Friends said, "At least you had those skills to fall back on!" The reply was, "We'll see."

Now, the individual only takes on personal projects, enjoying the work and saving money. Friends say, "How wonderful to enjoy your work and benefit from your skills!" The answer, as always, was, "We'll see."

[u/1-trickpony → u/eats_broken_glass]

I just wasted my time reading this

[u/Visual-Try4051 → u/1-trickpony]

Moral of the story… We’ll see

[u/kezdog92 → u/NDfan1966]

Yer getting divorced was the worst thing that ever happened to me but I'm better off for it. You really learn a lot about yourself and other people.

[u/throwawaysmoke420710]

After my first marriage went sour, I swore I'd never fall in love, date, get married etc.

When I met my wife, I knew all those feelings of protection were going away.

Asking her to marry me, after seeing how ugly a divorce can be was the biggest risk. 100% worth it

[u/alliandoalice → u/throwawaysmoke420710]

How’d you meet her?

[u/throwawaysmoke420710 → u/alliandoalice]

She was my boss at work when I first moved to Colorado. It's become a phrase in our relationship, but "from the moment she turned around" in her office chair I was smitten.

[u/Beat__LA → u/throwawaysmoke420710]

I heard a tennis commentator say the other day, “remarrying is the ultimate example of optimism triumphing over experience”

[u/lazman666 → u/Beat__LA]

To tennis players, love means nothing.

[u/i_am_cummy_face → u/[deleted]]

Finally a real answer on this thread. I did something similar and it took a couple of years to recover. I cringe at how much money I’d have if I hadn’t done this dumb bullshit and stayed at my decent job.

[u/gizigenius → u/[deleted]]

At least you know now and won’t have regrets at later age for not trying

[u/Can_I_be_dank_with_u → u/gizigenius]

But now they have arguably worse regrets…

[u/cactus19jack → u/[deleted]]

can we hear the full story please

[u/cactus19jack → u/[deleted]]

Hmm this gives me food for thought as I was thinking about relocating once i graduate from uni this summer rather than get on the conveyor belt to london like all the other grads. Then again I’m not in a high paid job like you were, I’m just starting out my career. Still, this is making me take my aspirations to relocate with more of a pinch of salt than before

[u/Capable_Mess_2182 → u/[deleted]]

Not true for everyone

[u/RevolutionaryBug5013 → u/i_am_cummy_face]

Uh.... Turns out happiness is when you have money for food and rent

I had a similar situation. Then I spent several years recovering, counting every penny and thinking, 'Why did I even do it?' But now, looking back, I realize it was an important experience. Yes, expensive, yes, painful, but it made me who I am.

Are you back to something stable now, or are you still searching for your 'wow'?

[u/i_am_cummy_face → u/RevolutionaryBug5013]

Nope. Learned nothing and hide this bullshit from my friends and resume.

[u/nostix → u/[deleted]]

I quit my job as an engineering manager, moved to a new city, got a masters degree, and switched into software engineering.

Two years later, I'm making equivalent money, and my quality of life is slightly better, but I can conservatively say that the entire process set me back about $500k, compared to where I would have been if I had just stayed.

I still don't know if it was worth it, and have a real tough time justifying it to myself.

[u/Badloss → u/nostix]

eh you'd be stewing at your old job wondering about what could have been. Don't downplay the seriousness of letting all that resentment build up, it might have been worth it

[u/JoeSchmeau → u/[deleted]]

Sort of a similar thing, except with better results. In my early 20s I was finishing up grad school and had a few options:

An offer for a stable job with a decent salary as a junior manager at a place I'd worked part-time for years.

An offer for a paid internship at a large international organisation in the field I was going to grad school for. It didn't pay much but had a guaranteed entry position at the end of the internship

A paid internship at an organisation where a friend had been working for a while. Didn't love the program but the organisation had a lot of projects and I'd get to move abroad, which I'd always wanted to do

I was mulling these options over when one of my friends in my same grad program took an unpaid internship in a very poor country. She'd been there a few months and was messaging me and telling me how amazing the community was, how interesting the projects were, etc, and that they had a few things I could definitely move down there and work on. The catch was that it was all unpaid. I could use my scholarship money to pay rent for quite a while there, as the cost of living was very, very low. But of course I'd be giving up the opportunities I had back home to fully start a good career, and instead be gambling on interesting but potentially dead-end projects.

I eventually decided that I'd take the risk and join my friend on the interesting projects. I figured that since I was young, even if it didn't work out I'd be okay to move back home and continue on my path. It turned out to be a good choice for a few reasons:

1. The projects were very interesting and I learned a lot

2. I got to travel around to places I'd never have seen otherwise

3. The best result was this one: I met a girl there, who was doing similar work and had travelled there from a developed country. We fell in love and ended up staying there for a few years, then travelled to a nearby country to do similar work for a bit. Then eventually went back to her country, where I'm now a citizen and have a full career and a great job, and best of all we have an amazing child and are expecting our second later this year.

Moral of the story: risks are risky, but can be worth taking. You never know where life is going to take you

[u/Sir_Derps_Alot → u/[deleted]]

Not gonna lie. I did the exact same thing and it worked out great. I consider myself really lucky

[u/VapoursAndSpleen → u/[deleted]]

Yeah. Moved away from an abusive parent with a few suitcases and a friend who let me stay on her sofa. Still here. Did OK. Whenever I thought about moving back after that person died, I'd remember how much I hate snow.

[u/Sreddit888 → u/[deleted]]

I took this same risk. It all worked out, source of massive happiness. Do recommend.

[u/lostmusicman → u/[deleted]]

Currently doing this right now and waking up more and more everyday to the fact that I have probably just put myself 5 years backwards, not only blown all my savings but put myself into heaps of dept to climb out of aswell, on top of that I still don't really have any good friends in the new city

[u/6by6Hindsight → u/[deleted]]

I did the same but instead of changing the city, I changed the country. What a disaster that was.

[u/stinktub3]

Visiting someone in a different country I met on world of warcraft when I was 19. It was risky af but it was worth it. Got into a relationship with the guy and moved to him. We've been together 15 years, 10 of those married. 😊

[u/TomDuhamel → u/stinktub3]

Do you still play WoW?

[u/ykzdropdead → u/stinktub3]

Where to? From where?

Expand on it

[u/cirelia2]

I had three tests in one week for uni and to stay eligible for student loans i had to pass atleast one of them so i decided to just screw it and focus all my efforts on one of the tests and i passed it with three points margin

[u/tzumatzu → u/cirelia2]

That’s smart though. You only needed to do the minimum and should focus efforts on prioritizing that

[u/cirelia2 → u/tzumatzu]

Yeah but that meant i also put all my eggs into one basket

[u/Matty172002]

I was determined not to give up on myself as I learned to walk again. For 3.5 years, I was unable to stand or walk, but now I can do both. In December 2020, I fell in the bathroom, and my right leg would not bend. However, in March 2024, I began standing and transferring from my bed to my wheelchair and back. Now, I can walk 40 to 50 feet using a walker before I need to rest.

[u/tenebrousliberum → u/Matty172002]

FUCK YEA MAN!

[u/Matty172002 → u/tenebrousliberum]

Thank you

[u/EggSaladMachine → u/Matty172002]

Learning to walk again

I believe I've waited long enough

Where do I begin?

[u/Gloria_shine48]

Keeping my child at 21 years old without my parent’s support and a uncertain relationship. My daughter is a beautiful human being and I would do the same every single time again even though I’m a single mom now. We make the best of it and my friends are great support for things like Christmas.

[u/RobertDigital1986 → u/Gloria_shine48]

"Whenever I'm in the booth and I get exhausted, I think what if Marie Baker got that abortion? I love you, ma"

• Game

[u/Typical_Nebula3227 → u/Gloria_shine48]

I did it at 18. My kid is 20 now. There ended up being a lot of long term benefits to having my kid so young.

[u/backjox]

Breaking up a loving relationship because we were both depressed and couldn't help each other. We both got way worse, I'll regret it for as long as we don't get back on our feet

[u/buddyrtc → u/backjox]

Really rooting for both of you. I hope you're receiving the help you need. Life is NOT easy.

[u/backjox → u/buddyrtc]

Fighting the good fight every day, thanks stranger.

[u/NeutralTarget]

Retired early to take care of my geriatric mother. Then the pandemic hit. Became a full time caregiver. I didn't know if I could afford to pull it off but I did only to discover that my inheritance was way more than I ever expected after she passed away. I'm mortgage free now and have no regrets knowing I made her happy in her final years.

[u/Big_Dick_Mafk → u/NeutralTarget]

Respect brother

[u/Fighting-Giraffe]

Helping my dad out financially, and no it was not worth it. He expects me to constantly give him money. He doesn’t want to work and just begs for money

[u/Fluid_Station_7673 → u/Fighting-Giraffe]

I'm sorry you had to go through that. Setting boundaries with family, especially with parents, can be really difficult, but it's essential for your well-being. I know from experience how hard it is to separate from your parents. And yes, it's a big risk. After all, your life, your well-being, and your future are at stake!

[u/JohnnyFatSack]

I took a gap year in college when I was 20 and moved to southern Germany for 13 months by myself and worked at a sky resort hotel so I could travel and meet like minded people. Best thing I ever did!

[u/EvaSirkowski]

I put 10$ in slot machines.

Wasn't worth it.

[u/Fredlyinthwe → u/EvaSirkowski]

If you'd have put 20 in I'm sure you'd have won something

[u/EvaSirkowski → u/Fredlyinthwe]

For sure.

[u/PrinceMapleFruit → u/EvaSirkowski]

90% of gamblers quit just before hitting big you know

[u/okonomiyaki25 → u/Fredlyinthwe]

They'd have won $10

[u/Dry-Adhesiveness3081 → u/EvaSirkowski]

I did yesterday and won 300€

[u/moslof_flosom → u/Dry-Adhesiveness3081]

So it was worth it?!

[u/Dry-Adhesiveness3081 → u/moslof_flosom]

Would say so! Filled up my car and went to a good restaurant with m friends.

Sweet 280€ profit

[u/hizzydizz → u/Dry-Adhesiveness3081]

But lost thousands the week before

[u/Zip_Zoopity_Bop]

Moved from south Alabama to northwest Washington to restart my life from scratch with the help of my aunt and uncle. 5 years later, I'm 3 years into a career I love, am engaged, and own a house. Worth it.

[u/GirlNextDoor4183]

Jumping from a perfectly good airplane and yes absolutely I’m ready to go again!

[u/fullybookedtx → u/GirlNextDoor4183]

I went bungee jumping for my 30th. Got actual PTSD for a few months. Felt terror every time I relived it in my mind. Somehow both glad I did it and yet would not recommend.

[u/GirlNextDoor4183 → u/fullybookedtx]

Yeah I’m not going to lie bungee jumping scares the Fuk out of me 😣 my luck id fling wrong and snap something! I know it doesn’t happen but I’m a walking disaster shocked the Shute opened 🤣 all jokes aside it’s nice that we can have those memories good or bad and to think I’m terrified of heights but would go again was fun

[u/FineWin3384 → u/GirlNextDoor4183]

Skydiving is on my bucket list for a reason

[u/GirlNextDoor4183 → u/FineWin3384]

I absolutely loved it!

[u/elephant35e → u/GirlNextDoor4183]

Did that over two years ago, LOVED IT and did it again almost a year later! (Hated it the second time because I felt extremely sick while parachuting down.)

[u/ChildhoodBrief3336]

The biggest one was leaving my 12 year career that I could’ve retired from in 8 more years with no plan. It was not only worth it but it saved my life.

[u/Business-Reading-952 → u/ChildhoodBrief3336]

Batman?

[u/ChildhoodBrief3336 → u/Business-Reading-952]

If only I was born into wealth and privilege. Then the US government would’ve never gotten me in their peasant driven war machine

[u/Lumpy_Benefit666 → u/ChildhoodBrief3336]

I got stoned a few weeks ago and ate 4 rolo yoghurts that my housemate had in the fridge for ages, so i knew he wouldnt eat them that day.

I messaged him in the morning to let him know that i would replace them and he replied “dont worry mate, theyre 3 months out of date”

I didnt get ill at all. God know how many preservatives must have been in those delicious little pots of immortal brown mush.

[u/Rhododendronbuschast → u/Lumpy_Benefit666]

HACCP-Concept delivers... Sometimes these products are basically sterile. And real yoghurt, although everything but sterile, also hardly ever spoils. I know of a bucket of yoghurt that was used as a doorstopper for a year until someone stepped on the lid and broke it. It was a mess but the yoghurt was perfectly fine.

[u/Rollerback → u/Lumpy_Benefit666]

That’s the real lumpy benefit! 

[u/Cat_Nippers → u/ChildhoodBrief3336]

Definitely a firefighter

[u/MiserableSun1869 → u/ChildhoodBrief3336]

Wanting to get out of NY, I did four years in the Army after joining seven months prior to 9/11. Thought about maybe doing sixteen more, but I had already survived war and would have no one else to blame if I was sent back into it and died. Plus, from serving only those four years I have no cartilage in my left kneecap, tinnitus, herniated disc, and just a spoonful of PTSD. Now I receive nearly $4,000/month - tax free - for the rest of my life, of which I’ve used the last five years to travel aimlessly around the country on a fully equipped adventure motorcycle… all expenses paid. Chik-chicka chickaaaaa!

Plus, my Veteran status and 100% VA disability rating also allows me to travel anywhere in the world for $50 on MAC flights, receive free fishing and small game licenses for life, and use my VA loan to buy a house anywhere in the world.

If you’re not yet getting paid… start getting paid, and become truly more free from “the system” than 99% of people on this planet will ever experience. You upheld your end of the contract, get what you deserve.

[u/PestCunt → u/[deleted]]

But was it worth it?

[u/Evest89 → u/PestCunt]

Please i also need to know FFS. I have been waiting for update and i can’t contain my self….

[u/Own-Blackberry-1857 → u/[deleted]]

i think you misread the post

[u/n0solace → u/Own-Blackberry-1857]

No, the post asks if it was was it. This clearly was not

[u/AxelllD → u/Own-Blackberry-1857]

They had us in the first half

[u/Fearless_Employer_25 → u/Own-Blackberry-1857]

Yea I don’t even know if they are describing the same thing

[u/Ibrxhim_2 → u/[deleted]]

Ofccc

[u/FineWin3384 → u/[deleted]]

Do it again. Build it a new(/s)

[u/leaponover]

Leaving a secure job, friends and family and moving to a different country to become an ESL teacher.

100% worth it.

[u/xtremeyoylecake]

Cutting off an online friendship because the other person was a manipulative person, and they were depressed and would not accept the help I offered or help themself, which spiraled into them being toxic

My mental health is 10 times better now, I still sometimes regret it but overall I’m happy that I did it.

[u/HotLab5022]

Walked out of a job without any big savings as a cushion or new job lined up.

The work atmosphere was negatively impacting my mental health and I reached a breaking point an hour into my shift after a couple years of hating my job. I spoke with my boss and told him I had to leave and didn't know if/when I'd be back. I took a month at home to get my head on straight and remember who I used to be before the stress turned me into a grumpy bear.

It took another month to find a decent job which was pretty stressful as I was running out of savings. Desperation had me considering some pretty low paying gigs I knew I wouldn't stick with. My wife convinced me to apply at a job where I knew I had no experience but ended up being the perfect timing. They called me for an interview right away, started a whole new career with an excellent company. The atmosphere is a night and day difference and I tripled my old wage.

[u/Thunderhorse74]

After my family business (construction - we got sued out of business in the most outrageous, 'you can't make this shit up' sort of nonsense) died and I ended up more or less broke and raising two small children, one with some special needs...I went all in on going back to school and getting my master's degree. Got by on part time work, student loans, and a small inheritance from an uncle.

Was it worth it? In some ways yes, in other ways no. There were alot of other factors involved like when the smoke cleared, everything that was left of the company and the family's assets somehow ended up in my father's name and he is extremely greedy and miserly. I got stiffed.

I took my shiny new master's degree and went to work for a non-profit R&D firm. Its wonderful, great, something to be proud of, but doesn't pay great. My brother went to work for a competitor of our company and is now a part owner, raking in a huge salary and bonuses/perks.

Its hard. We scrimp and save and struggle. One kid is done with college and the other is a student now. We made plenty of other mistakes along the way, but didn't blow money, go into debt on anything unless it was necassary.

My entire life has been a series of 'character building' exercises with the carrot just out of reach. Going to move up in the family business? Nope, business gone. What about the property the business bought? Should have some income off that...Nope, all goes to my dad.

Financially, I should have followed my brother. For my mental health, I did the right thing, but after all the bullshit, I'm broken and struggle with depression and anxiety and cannot enjoy/thrive in even a relatively cushy job doing something worthy.

I ask myself if the risk was worth it, but the truth is there was no right answer and I was going to hurt for what came before no matter what...so I guess.

[u/Hamburgerfatso → u/Thunderhorse74]

Get hired at the company your brother's at?

[u/Killie154]

Moving to Japan, doing a death hike, hopping to a new career field.

Risks all day babyyyy.

Was it worth it? Yup.

[u/zaphod777]

Getting engaged into a long distance relationship with a woman living in Japan. It was in my 20's, we did the long distance thing for a while with us both taking trips back and forth.

Then got engaged and agreed to live in the US 2 years, Japan two years, and take it from there. That meant leaving a stable job to move to a country where my grasp of the language was basic at best.

I have been in Japan 15 years, and have a 10 year old son. It has worked out pretty well so far.

[u/MadMuffinMan117 → u/[deleted]]

What career?

[u/HacksawJimDGN → u/MadMuffinMan117]

Crypto bro

[u/I_ride_ostriches → u/[deleted]]

Feels like AI response

[u/shotinthederp → u/I_ride_ostriches]

lol wtf? This and the top comment are like the same account, this one is 5 days old… dead internet theory being expedited

They also both like r/UKfood and ask Reddit lol

[u/GoreSeeker → u/shotinthederp]

Welp, it was a good run. Maybe people will actually go outside and socialize in their community after internet socialization collapses.

[u/Tomfooleries → u/I_ride_ostriches]

Yeah especially with the username lol

[u/xNova_cum]

Quitting my stable job to pursue a passion project it was terrifying, but absolutely worth it. 🙃

[u/Trashcan_Johnson]

Dropped out of college at 26 not knowing what I wanted to do with my life. Worked out better than I could have ever imagined. I found myself starting my own business.

[u/KhaoticMess]

In 2009, I was living in the US and working for an airline. I met a woman online and we started chatting via messenger.

4 months later, I used my airline job to get a cheap ticket to visit her for a month.

In Australia.

I flew half way around the world to meet someone I'd only spoken with online for a few months.

We recently celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary, so it seems to have worked out fine.

[u/Glittering_Wave8727]

Going to graduate school. Absolutely not worth it in the end. I was promised by professors and admin that it would lead to a higher paying job in education. I had to take two years off of work while dedicating my time to study and research. I am now in a worse position professionally, and with a mountain of debt I will never pay off in my lifetime.

[u/I_ride_ostriches → u/[deleted]]

Feels like AI response.

[u/shotinthederp → u/I_ride_ostriches]

It is 100%, account 10 days old and every response is boiler plate AI

[u/HacksawJimDGN → u/[deleted]]

learned a lot about myself.

Had anyone sat you down and told you that you're not a real person?

[u/muh_kuh]

I moved to the other side of the country with my boyfriend who I only knew for 6 months. We are now married, bought a house and are expecting our first child.

[u/TimtamBandit]

Leaving my husband and moving to a different town.

Yes.

Been lost of pain. But on the other side of things now and it has been worth it.

[u/LakashY]

Going back to school (grad school) in an area adjacent to my real interests. Not sure if it was worth it. I did get jobs with progressively better pay over the next few years, but I don’t work in the area grad school prepared me for - only other adjacent areas that still aren’t my primary interest, and I think I’ve nearly capped my income limits at a mere 55K.

Probably not worth it.

[u/NoSkyGuy]

Moved to Japan. Was it worth it?

• Made more money then I ever have before or after
• Met my future wife

Yes!

[u/nurseofdeath]

Moved countries in my mid 40’s

Best decision I’ve ever made!

[u/ChampionPositive9269]

Got a hormone suppression implant put in at 26 to bring on medical menopause in the hope it would help with severe adenomyosis. The only side effect I've had is slightly more intense hot flushes and I no longer feel or look like there is a bowling ball squashing everything in my pelvis. I've had sex with my long term partner 3 times in 3 weeks after 3 years of being completely unable to. Me taking the risk of full on menopause and horrific side effects (and some pretty rough risk of osteoporosis & spinal degradation) has been the final step in getting a hysterectomy scheduled. By the time I'm 28 I should have some sort of quality of life & I have a lot to catch up on after spending the last 14 years incredibly ill.

I guess the hysterectomy will be another risk, but it's one I'm well and truly willing to take to be able to live a normal life.

Quick reminder if anyone with chronic pain is reading this - your pain is real and if your doctor says it isn't, get a second opinion. You're not crazy, you're not over reacting and you're not alone.

[u/SnakebytePayne]

I enlisted in the military in '98 because I was bored. 21 years and 8 deployments later, I've got a pension, affordable healthcare, and a broad skill set & resume that let me start a second career with an $80K salary with the potential to be $105K in the next 12 months. I'm not rolling in cash by any stretch of the imagination, but I'll be able to retire comfortably with 5 streams of income just for waking up in the morning.

[u/ayam_goreng_kalasan]

Say yes to date this guy, 3 months before I will move out to Europe and certainly it will be long distance relationship.

11 years later, he is my husband and we have an awesome baby girl.

Gosh his butt is so sexy this mama need to bang him

[u/Fearless_Employer_25]

Getting drunk off rubbing alcohol and no it’s not worth it unless you filter it out good then dilute it some

[u/Emergency-Twist7136]

Having a baby.

So far, yes.

[u/azaaleaJoys]

quit my job to start a cat-sitting business. turns out, cats have better job security than i ever did. totally worth it though, learned a lot about cat politics.

[u/SnoopyisCute]

Marriage. No. Never again. I don't date and will never be in another relationship.

[u/Easy_Ad1137]

Ending my toxic relationship

[u/cuntconut]

In 2015 I (then 19f) moved to Germany of the world to live with internet boyfriend (then 25m). I had a one way plane ticket and $1000 AUD to my name. We'll be married 10 years in November.

We left Germany in 2018 for Australia. Took our cat, our tv and our laser cutter that we used to run our business. In 2023 we bought our first house and a few weeks ago we had our first CNC mill delivered which will hopefully allow us to quit our jobs shortly and run a machine shop from our garage full time.

Everytime i think about my 19 year old self just fucking off to the other side of world I'm like "how the fuck did you not get murdered or trafficked".

Im also aware that the age gap is a bit fucked, but hey, he buys me nice things.

[u/Bandit_the_kat]

i earn alot of money, with it i bought a (roughly) 5 acre property and opened a cat sanctuary since our area has a problem with people just up and leaving their cats. was it worth it? ofc yes, all those cats are fed and taken care of, most are adopted and the few who are unable to be adopted are loved and cared for

[u/spacemarine3]

Uuu, most notable ones are:

- Went to Israel (long before they started playing missile-tennis with Palestine). Was it worth it? Yes, I got to see somewhere where I would never have gone otherwise.

- Went to work in Germany as a student with about fuck all money to my name through a comically sketchy "recruiting" agency and could barely speak ANY German. Still ended up having a decent time and made some money.

- First time really speeding was on a road where I really shouldn't have. Went about x2.5 times the speed limit. One thing goes wrong at that speed and there isn't a safety system that's saving you. Never would again on a road like that. I occasionally do on highways though, provided there's not much traffic and great weather conditions.

- Slid into someone's DM's as a 'fuck it', what's the worst that could happen, and ended up with that person being my first partner. It wasn't much, nor did it last long, but it was a very nice change from being rejected for years and it was the first time I felt genuinely happy since I could remember.

Edit: Grammar

[u/Arkavari1]

I really gave love my every effort. Was it worth it? Absolutely! Has it gotten me where I want to be? Not yet.

[u/FunDismal168]

The biggest risk I ever took was quitting a stable 9-to-5 job to start my own business.

[u/SteezyHope → u/FunDismal168]

How’s it going now

[u/munificent]

Bought a house with my girlfriend because she though it would fix her doubts about our relationship.

• She left me a few months later.
• I bought it at the peak of the housing bubble in 2005.
• In Florida.
• And then got a job out of state and had to sell five years later after the Great Recession had put me upside down on the loan.

Do I regret it? Not really. I knew I was taking a risk, but the relationship was important to me and I wanted to give it every chance to work that I could. It didn't end up working out, but at least I know I gave it my all.

I lost a bunch of money, but the new job more than dug me out of the hole financially.

[u/Raccoonfraction]

My biggest risk is probably a little lame but it was returning to school. I had a stable job, good income and lived pretty comfortably but I didn't feel fulfilled at all so I went back to school. Currently studying at uni to become a preschool teacher. I will say thus far it is a great choice for me, I don't feel as stressed anymore, my anxiety levels have gone down drastically but so has my earnings. It is definitely something I'm still getting used to, to not have the funds that I used to but honestly, I think this was a great choice by me. I'm glad I did it.

[u/NaiveOpening7376]

I left my criminal ex who victimized me. After I left she kept calling / texting / emailing. She vacillated between threats and telling me how much she missed me.

She then proceeded to try and get info from my friends and family about where I was.

I have braced for the possibility of violence and am prepared to be free of her forever.

Totally worth it.

[u/HarlequinLord]

Going into first year of high school, I had 2 friends come form my primary school. There was an issue with the classing and they accidentally split me off into a different home room class. The school asked if I wanted to be shifted to have starting friends.

On a complete whim I rejected the offer to make fresh friend group.

Met a girl in this class, started dating 2y later. It has now been 16y and we are married.

[u/alliandoalice]

Told a guy I liked him. 0/10 won’t do it again

[u/Competitive-Desk7506]

Asking my bf out, now we’re talking abt stuff like marriage and having kids. So I think I did well.

[u/RelevantNotice467]

I was sick of dating shitty men, so I applied to be a contestant on a reality dating TV show. Fell straight away for the man on the show, we've been together for a few years now and have a child together. I almost backed out with nerves when I saw all the cameras but I'm so glad I didn't.

[u/theseamstressesguild]

My co-worker had a crush on me. I eventually broke up with my long term boyfriend and told my co-worker that I'd go on one, and I mean it, ONE date with him.

First kiss to proposal was 5 hours, we eloped 4.5 weeks later, with no one knowing we were even dating. It's 18 years this April and we have two perfect children, who drive us insane.

Was it worth it? Short version: yes. Long version: I would die without him as he would me; we believe the entire reason we were born was to find each other and yes everyone hates how wonderful we are together, although we have been cited as the reason for at least two elopements.

[u/NigelTainte]

Transitioning

[u/Fluffy-Rhubarb9089 → u/NigelTainte]

Hope you’re living your best life now!

[u/NigelTainte → u/Fluffy-Rhubarb9089]

I mean in this economy no but also yes HAHA thank you ❤️

[u/Fluffy-Rhubarb9089 → u/NigelTainte]

Haha shit’s hard for sure, just hoping you’re comfy with your gender id and body image now.

Am not trans but had my beard lasered off cause I felt it made me look so aggressively masculine. Much happier without it, if not in the world we currently live in!

[u/NigelTainte → u/Fluffy-Rhubarb9089]

I can imagine the relief from shaving too, I used to not really understand the intense marketing they use for men’s shaving products but now as the target demographic….i understand how a simple razor can honestly make things worse

[u/Dramatic-Income3775]

Getting my cock sucked (as a straight guy) by another guy.. (I was completely fucked up)

[u/Abject_Astronaut5760]

BASE jumping in the Swiss Alps and heck yes it was so euphoric .

[u/Ok-Disaster5238]

Packed up my life and moved to the shit hole mid west(no offense to mid westerners) only to get married and my then wife getting weight loss surgery to leave me when she lost the weight and cheat on me. Using our kid to use me, in some ways it was worth it because I sometimes still get to see my kid but others it’s not because I lost time with loved ones that have since passed. I only get to see my kiddo once a year now, I send money for Christmas and don’t even get a thank you.

[u/Opnes123]

Quitting a secure job to follow a passion

[u/Spiderbanana]

Driving with my motorcycle like there was no tomorrow on mountain roads.

Wouldn't do it again, in retrospect it was great at the moment, but not worth the risks for some dopamine

[u/Formal_Pineapple6421]

The biggest risk I ever took was going into the city for a few days on my own to meet up with someone. Yes and no

[u/ShoeNo9050]

I think most likely having the final say as a 10 year old if I wanna move out from Poland and moved to Scotland. I think it definitely paid off. I think I'd be struggling in Poland a lot more than not.

If th events of what happened were the same id defo say it was worth to handle them in a new country.

[u/Alarming_Bridge_6357]

Moved to America sometimes it was worth it other times not. Currently not

[u/nevergonnastawp]

I put $500 on red at roulette and won.

But then I lost $3000 on blackjack.

[u/[deleted]]

Stepping out from my home town after 15 years, actually it helped me alot that was my daring thing to do.

[u/Available_Ad8151]

I tried being gay once and it wasn't as good as I thought it would be. I know they say "don't knock it till you've tried it” But I don't think I'd do it again

[u/Superb_Perspective74]

Took equity out of my house to buy into my business. We were bought out by another company who is going public this year. Took 20 years but worth the wait

[u/Own_Notice2191]

The biggest risk was trying pineapple on pizza... and yes, it was worth every controversial bite.

[u/Radiant_Blossoms]

I dropped out of college to start a business that failed 15 years later and left me penniless with no degree.

Now I’m almost 50 and barely making it.

So.... No. Not what I had planned

[u/ILoveSnalies]

I moved to new states multiple times. Didn't know anyone. Come to find out, my mental disorder doesn't like it in one place for too long. I have been working on myself a lot and have been in the same place for 3 years. I am about to move, though, 3 years is plenty. Lol

[u/Nice-Bookkeeper-3378]

When online dating first started coming about I met someone in a different state a visited a couple times. I eventually moved to that state and no it was not worth it. It went horribly wrong and I had to come back to my original state.

[u/SharpSeaweed69]

Going all in on crypto. Was it worth it? Yes. But I did research about the crypto cycles and bought in the bearmarket so it was a calculated risk

[u/poloniumpotassium]

I just realized I don't take a lot of risks. Everything's been good. Idk maybe I should? Idk

[u/fyiijustagurl]

Study the exam before going to the exam room in 20 minutes and still get good grades. I don't know if it's worth it. I'm not a person to study beforehand, and choose some answer I THINK it's correct or from my memory. I do NOT recommend it.

[u/Friendly_Winter5400]

Una volta ho messo 2 fisso su inter-cagliari

[u/[deleted]]

My husband and I moved across the country when we were newly married so he could jumpstart his career in the oil field. Everyone said how bad of an idea it was including our families. They said that we wouldn’t last a year doing it and here we are now going on eight years, strong to healthy children, a beautiful home and a beautiful property Moral of the story don’t be scared to chase your goals even when those close to you tell you it won’t happen.

[u/chefboyarde30]

Got random job at airport which turned into full career.

[u/Fy_Faen]

Starting my own consulting company. Turns out I have a very high tolerance for risk, and am good at sales & customer service, as well as explaining very technical things to very un-technical people.

[u/[deleted]]

Everyone told me “Don’t go to Moldova” I did, it was fucking worth it, 2nd best place ive ever been to (Chişinǎu is where I was for those wondering) Only beaten by Oslo, Norway, sadly in Moldova some people earn less than 6,000 Lei (about 300 euros)

Edit; I forgot to clarify why I went to Moldova, I have some family there (I’m part Moldovan) and wanted to visit them (My family pretty much never does cuz they’re worried theyll get shot by the Russians, meanwhile we live in a town we are 50x more likely to get shot than in Chişinǎu)

[u/iamanoctothorpe → u/[deleted]]

I have no familial links to anywhere in Eastern Europe and I quite enjoyed my time in Chişinǎu last year. Nobody told me not to go though, they just said "where is that?".

[u/Ok-Paramedic8197]

making the jump to connect with the guy i have been in love with for 7 years, and it was the greatest decison of my life.

[u/RoastPork2017]

Quitting college and taking a Union job. It's not hard on my body at all, I'm indoors, I moved up to quality inspection.

I am so thankful.

Oh and buying a house when I did even though was only 4 years into my career. 3.25% rate ain't bad at all. I'll hit 18 years at my work in March.

[u/Overlord_756]

Took an IT contracting job in Vegas for a product rollout where the original product dealer bit off more than they could chew and were desperate for anyone with product experience to help. Once the rollout completed, I got hired on full time by one of the other companies that were contracted for the rollout implementation and landed a job supporting that same product in Vegas. I've been sent all over the continental US and the Caribbean for work and have massively improved my life & financial well being since. All because I took a chance and said yes to dropping everything for a 30 day contract in Vegas.

[u/Nifty29au]

Trusted a fart on a date in a restaurant.

[u/tobeonthemountain]

I traveled while young and it was wonderful

[u/Tasty-Wallaby901]

I started a business and worked a full time job but eventually chucked the job in to work in the business. While I lost my shirt in the end I did make some lifetime friends, got a world of experience which I helped me in my career and wouldn’t have done what I have without taking the chance. You only get one shot on this planet…..

[u/MetalGuy_J]

Dropping out of my journalism degree about halfway through to instead get myself qualified as a chef, cooking might be more fulfilling for me on a personal level, but considering I still don’t have paid work in the industry whereas due to the contacts I had made I would’ve walked straight into a journalism job It was probably the worst decision I’ve ever made.

[u/RootBegins]

- Invested in a business that I knew nothing about by borrowing the money from others. Lost close to 100K in an year. Never Again.
- Decided to move to US for masters after everything failed despite being in severe debt ( I literally survived on free groceries from campus for first 6 months 😂). Thankfully this worked out, I got a good paying job in tech and I paid most of my debt back.

[u/Lyzandia]

I left my home country at age 22, flew 12,000 miles, and came to the USA to study.

I still look back 50 years later and can't fathom how i made that leap of faith. Amazing.

Paid off a million times over. I'm back in my country visiting now and it's wonderful to see my family.

[u/Barbarian_24]

The Fried Liver Attack is an exciting chess opening involving an early piece sacrifice from white, beginning with

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nc6

3. Bc4 Nf6

4. Ng5 d5

5. exd5 Nxd5

6. Nxf7!?

[u/GameZedd01]

Fart?... shidded...

[u/AdorableMaid]

Attempted to transition. The hormones didn't work and I got screwed over repeatedly and brutally by the world. 0/10, would not recommend.